When Microsoft revealed the release date for its Windows 10 Mobile Creators Update last week, the careful wording of its announcement certainly raised an eyebrow or two. The company said that availability of the update "may vary by manufacturer, model, country or region, mobile operator or service provider, specific installed software, hardware limitations and other factors such as feedback from customers."

It seems that we now have a clearer idea of Microsoft's plans - and for many Windows phone owners, it's not good news. Citing unnamed sources, Mary Jo Foley reports on ZDNet that only a subset of current devices will be eligible to upgrade to the Creators Update. Specifically, based on information from multiple sources, those devices are listed below:

Alcatel IDOL 4S

Alcatel OneTouch Fierce XL

HP Elite x3

Lenovo Softbank 503LV

MCJ Madosma Q601

Microsoft Lumia 550

Microsoft Lumia 640/640XL

Microsoft Lumia 650

Microsoft Lumia 950/950 XL

Trinity NuAns Neo

VAIO Phone Biz (VPB051)

That's a pretty short list, and there are some notable exclusions. For example, the Lumia 730/735 and 830 - running the same Snapdragon 400 processor as the 640 and 640 XL, which are on the list - appear not to have made the cut.

Mary Jo asked Microsoft to comment on whether or not that list is accurate, and if there are any specific reasons for why some handsets might be excluded from the Creators Update. A Microsoft spokesperson provided the following statement:

Beginning this month, Microsoft will release the Creators Update for Windows 10 customers including those using Windows 10 Mobile. As has been the case with pervious Windows updates, a device may not be able to receive the Creators Update if the device hardware is incompatible, lacking current drivers, or otherwise outside of the Original Equipment Manufacturer's ('OEM') support period. These devices will continue to receive security and servicing fixes according to our OS support policy. The full list of supported devices will be posted on the Product Lifecycle page soon."

Clearly, that's not a denial, but it's not a confirmation either. However, it seems that we may not have to wait too long before Microsoft officially publishes the list of devices that will get the Creators Update. For now, it certainly appears that that list will be shorter than many would have liked.